New faces, new titles, and a few farewells

October 07, 2013

Director of Leadership and Service Harold McNaron

Director of Leadership and Service Harold McNaron recently joined Lewis & Clark to oversee student leadership and service learning initiatives. The Source caught up with him to get to know him a little bit better and to learn about his plans for the new office.

Can you share a bit about your background and how you came to choose a career in educational leadership and service learning?

Originally from Atlanta, Georgia, I came to the Pacific Northwest for graduate school at Portland State. I’m a proud AmeriCorps alum and former nonprofit staff member. As a student affairs staff member, I’ve enjoyed the opportunity to bridge the campus-community divide through community-engaged programs. I believe leadership and service are best understood as processes utilized by individuals and groups to effect the positive changes they wish to see in the world.

What will success look like this year for Student Leadership and Service (SLS), and what is your long-term vision?

As we are a new office, current successes relate to hiring some amazing student staff and spreading the word about the new office structure. Our annual and strategic goals will be developed by a group of stakeholders; thus, those are not set at this point. Yet, I trust that they will relate to meaningful engagement and development for students, community partners, and other stakeholders. Utilizing a social change framework, long-term goals will hopefully relate Lewis & Clark stakeholders developing their own leadership competencies while working in partnership with other community members to effect sustainable change.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

In my spare time I like to unwind with my partner, Anne; our three cats; and Netflix. Now that I’m back in town, I’m also looking forward to reconnecting with Portland’s racial justice community.

The Office of Student Leadership and Service is located in Templeton 107.

Comings and Goings Update

Several people have joined the community recently, and some continuing employees have taken on new roles and responsibilities at Lewis & Clark: